The US government has been violating the constituion and trampling on the bill of rights since virtually the inception of the country. The history of the US, like the history of every other country, is littered with the corpses of nice-sounding ideals, from false flag frame-ups to lead the nation into war to the persecution and even execution of political dissidents. But the point is that 50 years ago, America wanted to believe it was a nation of ideals, and many people did believe that. So what changed?...

Stephen Colbert delivers the 2013 Valedictory Address at the University of Virginia. He first steals the show by pretending to steal the class check, a gift to U.Va., saying he would have spoken for free. He has some other fun moments before shifting gears to share some advice. Rain moves the ceremony from its traditional site on the lower Lawn to the John Paul Jones Arena. About 12,000 graduates and family members gather for the ceremony there.

Thomas Herndon, a grad student, found a simple Excel spreadsheet error (and some missing data from countries such as Canada and Australia) in the study that has been used by Conservatives around the world such as Paul Ryan to argue for austerity that is, cutting government spending and social services.

The study encouraged conservative governments in other countries to kill government jobs and spending. It didnt work, and in fact, has caused a lot of suffering for many people. In an economic recession, its much better for all if the government spends money rather than pulling back.

So basically, the whole economic theory was based on flaws, and those flaws were discovered by a grad student.